The present invention relates to conveyor systems, including systems for conveying containers, cans, bottles and/or other items on moving surfaces. The present invention also relates to systems and methods for transferring items from one conveyor to another.
Many industrial processes require the transfer of items from one conveyor to another. In some systems, the transfer is accomplished by locating the upstream end of one conveyor at the downstream end of the other conveyor, with the two conveyors aligned end-to-end. This is not always a satisfactory arrangement, however, especially for items that are easily disrupted or disoriented.
It has also been suggested to locate the outgoing conveyor next to the incoming conveyor in a side-by-side overlapping arrangement. The items to be transferred are diverted from the incoming conveyor to the outgoing conveyor by one or more diverter rails. There are a number of problems with this arrangement, however. One such problem is that the outgoing conveyor is not aligned with the incoming conveyor.
There is a need in the art for a transfer conveyor system that can transfer items from an incoming conveyor to an outgoing conveyor along the same line of travel with reduced disruption or disorientation of the items. There is also a need in the art for a modular conveyor system that can be easily assembled for use in a variety of industrial processes and locations, and that has aligned mechanical components.
The present invention overcomes the problems of the prior art to a great extent by providing a conveyor system with first and second conveyors arranged for moving items in a first direction. The main portions of the conveyors are substantially aligned with the first direction, and the downstream and upstream portions of the conveyors are substantially parallel to the first direction.
According to one aspect of the invention, the first and second conveyors have adjacent curved edges. The curved edges may be S-shaped, for example. One or more guide rails may be provided for guiding the conveyed items over the adjacent conveyor edges and onto the second conveyor.
According to another aspect of the invention, a drive device may be provided for moving the downstream portion of the first conveyor. An idler wheel may be used to align the upstream end of the second conveyor. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the axes of rotation of the drive device and the idler wheel are parallel to each other.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a table may be provided for supporting and aligning the ends of the two conveyors. The drive device and the idler wheel may be attached to the table to form a modular transfer unit. The transfer table may be located between the elongated support structures that are used to support the main portions of the conveyors.
The conveyors may be in the form of linked plates or continuous belts. The conveyors may be constructed to flex in the horizontal direction as they travel over and through the transfer conveyor system. The conveyor plates may also be vertically bendable relative to each other such that the conveyors can rotate around the drive device and the idler wheel in operation.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the incoming conveyor transfers containers into a transferring region of the system. The outgoing conveyor runs in a parallel fashion to the incoming conveyor at the transferring region. Matching gentle curves are incorporated into the incoming and outgoing conveyors at the region of transfer to allow the containers to maintain the same straight direction of travel and to minimize disruption of the containers along their path.